Sri Lanka, Thailand sign MoU for agricultural development

Primary Industries Ministry Secretary Eng. Bandula Wickremaarchchi and Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives of Thailand Senior Executive Vice President Apirom Sukprasert signing the MoU while Primary Industries Minister Daya Gamage and Thai Ambassador to Sri Lanka Chulamanee Chartsuwan look on.

The Memorandum of Understanding between Primary Industries of the Sri Lankan Government and the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives of the Kingdom of Thailand was signed yesterday at a special ceremony held at the Primary Industries Ministry Auditorium in the presence of Primary Industries Minister Daya Gamage and Thai Ambassador to Sri Lanka Chulamanee Chartsuwan.

Primary Industries Ministry Secretary Eng. Bandula Wickremaarchchi and Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives of Thailand Senior Executive Vice President Apirom Sukprasert signed the MoU.

In his address at the signing ceremony, Primary Industries Minister Daya Gamage underscored the importance of the signing agreement as it served well for both countries in the time to come.

“I must commend Thailand for adopting right policies, creating right institutions and assembling the educated resources to realize the country’s development goals,” he said.

The Minister went onto say that target of his Ministry is to double the agriculture-based products and increase the revenue earned by the year 2020 and keep on doubling the exports every five years.

“One may say it is a difficult task, but I am very confident that we can make it. And we are determined to accomplish it,” the Minister said. Both Thailand and Sri Lanka continue to support each with international political and trade fields.

There has been very steady increase in bilateral trade and ties between our countries have grown rapidly, said the Minister.

Continuing his address the Minister said: “For third world countries such as ours, Primary Industries are of utmost importance.

A country should build her economic backbone by developing its Primary Industries at scale and as a gradual progression of that development, secondary sector which produces and manufactures goods, and the tertiary sector which provides services, will be easier to develop.

This is the gradual and organic process of leading a third world country to be a first world country with a strong economic backbone. “By entering into MoU, we expect to promote the exchange of information and experiences in the areas of agriculture, agriculture cooperatives, agriculture processing industries, micro-finance and establishing credit lines to support import and export businesses related to primary industries.

I strongly believe that this MOU is a venture that would help achieve this target.

“It is my hope and desire that this MoU signed with the best intentions, will be a strong extension of the economic and geopolitical partnership between Sri Lanka and Thailand,” added Minister Gamage. Thai Ambassador to Sri Lanka Chulamanee Chartsuwan, speaking at the occasion, recalled the historical relationship both countries enjoyed for centuries and sharing religious and cultural values and said the MoU signed would expand that relationship to new heights. “I welcome the signing of the MoU and will look forward to their implementation of the projects mentioned therein for the benefit of both countries,” she added. 

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